WARSAW, Poland: On Tuesday, the Polish Defense Ministry said it had increased the number of troops on its border with Belarus to almost 6,000 to counter a surge in migration.

In a tweet, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said, “Almost 6,000 soldiers from the 16th, 18th and 12th divisions are serving on the Polish-Belarusian border. The soldiers provide support to the Border Guard by protecting the country’s border and not allowing it to be illegally crossed.”

There have recently been 612 attempts to cross the border illegally, reported the Border Guard.

According to the European Commission and the Polish government, the surge in migrants has been orchestrated by Belarus in response to pressure from the European Union over sanctions, an accusation denied by Minsk.

Poland has declared a state of emergency in the region and plans to build a wall along the border, but human rights groups claim legislation passed by the country’s parliament runs counter to the country’s commitments under international law to assist migrants.

Some 9,600 attempts to illegally cross the border were recorded in October, the Border Guard said.

An increasing number of migrants have also been arriving in Germany. The head of the German Police trade union requested temporary border controls to be placed along the Polish border to stop the flow of migrants, the Polish media reported.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer also offered to help Poland manage the surge in migrants along their border with Belarus by sending border control officers.